Improvement in ttjeling and reeting- sails



iduittd A(Stabat W. BROWN, OF CAMBRIDGE, ILLINOIS.

Lette/rs Patent No. 94,27 7 dated! August 3l, 1869.

n-Qr- IMPROVEMENT IN FURLING: AND REEFING- SAILS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

in the county of Henry, and State of Illinois, haveinvented -a new anduseful Improvement in Rigging Vessels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to makeY and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forrning part of thisspecitication.

This invention relates to improvements in rigging sailing-vessels,designed to provide a more simple and reliable means for spreading andtaking in the sails than any now in use.

It consists in an arrangement'of vertical rollers around the mast andrigging, for spreading the sails, which are connected to the saidrollers by drawing them outwardly along the spars as they are unwoundfrom the said rollers, and taking them in by an opposite movement, allas hereinafter more fully speoiiied.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a mast, spars, and rigging forsupporting the main sails according to my improvements.

Figure 2 represents a transverse sectional view of the same.

Similar letters ot" reference indicate corresponding parts.

I propose to attach the sails to vertical rollers A, lising from onespar to another, nea-r the mast, and connect the tops and bottoms of thesails to cord B, secured to the said rollers, passing over guide-pnlleysG, at the extremity of the spars, and returning to winding-drums D onshafts E, arranged parallel with the rollers, andgearing therewith bytoothed wheels F, at the bot-tom, to causey them to move in unison.

Power may be applied to either the rollers or shafts by driving-gears G,t0 be operated either. byhandlcranks, steam, or other power.

I prefer to make spiral grooves H in the drums or winding-parts for thecord B, except atthe bottom of 'the roller, where -it is designed thatwhen rolling up, Vthe size of the roll shall increase suciently to takein and give out a greater breadth of sail than the top.

As the outer point of the top of the sail is higher than the inner, itis necessary that the cord shall rise snciently to lay it smoothly onthe roller. For this reason, the groove for the cord is pitched upwardto correspond with the rise of the sail, and a guide, I, is provided,with the inner end bearing in the said groove, and the outer jointed toa fixed support, la, on the spar.

This guide supports a pair of grooved pulleys, L, between which theupper cord B passes, and is properly guided to win'd on the roller. l

Other pairsl of grooved pulleys, M N, as many as may be required, may beprovided, both for the upper and lower cords.

' lhe shafts and rollers are arranged in supports fixed to the spars,and are moved around the mast with the spars, to adj ust the sails tothe wind, as required.

It' found necessary, the shaft-s and rollers may be provided withuniversal joints, to allow them to yield to the springing of the mast.by the wind, and work freely.

My improvements are applicable to all the sails snpported on the masts,one set of apparatus being provided for eac-h sail.

By my improved arrangements for rigging vessels,

the sails may be taken in withontgoingaloft, the upper driving-shaitsbeing provided with the proper connect-ions with the deck.

The masts may be-taken down in time of storms,A and various arrangementsof devices may be provided for this purpose, as may be preferred.

v Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. Thearrangement-of the roller A, with reference to the mast'and spars, asherein set forth and shown.

2. The combination ofthe cords B, the sails, rollers,4 guide-pulleys G,and bimling-shafts, all substantially as Y specified.

3. The eombinatiolnwith the cords B, sails and spars, of theguide-pulleys M N, when arranged as specilied.

4. The combination, with the rollers A, grooved in the upper end, asdescribed, of the guide I and guidepulleys thereon, substantially asspeciiied.

E. W. BROWN.

Witnesses:

OLIVER BALL; v A. H. SELLs.

